Medical tubing connector
US4946455A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 25, 1988 |
| Grant date | Aug 7, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 25, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T137/87957
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A medical tubing connector includes an elongated generally cylindrical housing for universal coupling to an identically configured connector. The housing includes an open connecting end, a nozzle for connecting to sterile medical tubing and a base portion defining a fluid passageway from the nozzle. A valve assembly is disposed within the connector. The housing also includes an interconnecting portion between the open end and the base portion that comprises a pair of diametrically opposite fingers. The fingers are spaced circumferentially apart to define complementary slots interspersed therebetween. The fingers and slots are configured for engagement when a pair of connectors are interengaged to form a sterile enclosure about the valve assemblies of each connector. The valve assembly for each connector includes a piston that slides within the interlocking portion and contacts several piston retaining stops near the open end of the housing to keep the valve assembly within the housing. The piston also includes a plunger having a feed orifice in its outer surface that communicates with a bore extending along the length of the plunger. The bore opens at a coupling port in a coupling …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.